WHOA!

krjens · Post by **krjens** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 2:08 am

I'm trying to teach my pup the Whoa command. I've been using a Whoa board and just introducing the word to her, placing her back on the board when she steps off, putting her on a barrel that rocks if she moves, etc. She has learned other commands really quickly( sit, stay, come, kennel) but this doesn't seem to sink in much. Any ideas? She is a 14 week old GSP. Thanks for your help!!!

PA_Sportsman · Post by **PA_Sportsman** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 9:11 am

14 weeks? That might be a little to young to expect anything drastic as far as obedience. I would work on basic house breaking and the commands like you have been. Continue to repitiously drill the 4 commands that you have listed but make sure to make it fun for the pup. I would suggest not putting a lot of pressure on the pup with whoa. A young pup like that is full of energy and getting her to hold whoa is a tough assignment. I started whoa work with Gracie at 4 or 5 months.

Best of luck with you pup!

Post by **grant** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 9:22 am

As PA said, I would just have fun with the pup, and CONGRATS on the female GSP, my personal favorite! They're great aren't they!

Get some pigeons and get that girl bird loco!

You might want to check out this video also:

http://perfectionkennels.com/video_series.htm

THE PERFECT START

This is the first video of the PERFECT BIRD DOG SERIES . It has taken 12 months to shoot and edit.( Most videos are shot in a matter of a couple of days) You get see dogs worked and see their reaction in all situations and see how we handle them. For example when we are teaching a dog to HERE it is not done with a dog that already knows the command. You get to see what happened the very first time we start teaching each command. You also will see how each dog responds in the first introduction to the gun and birds. It doesn't matter if your dog is 4 months or 4 years, if your dog needs to begin its hunting or field trial career this is the way to get it done. We are showing you exactly what we would do with your dog here at PERFECTION KENNELS. These are not the methods of the past. These are the methods used by one of the most recognized kennels ,worldwide, for their training expertise.

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 2:43 pm

krjens wrote:I'm trying to teach my pup the Whoa command. I've been using a Whoa board and just introducing the word to her, placing her back on the board when she steps off, putting her on a barrel that rocks if she moves, etc. She has learned other commands really quickly( sit, stay, come, kennel) but this doesn't seem to sink in much. Any ideas? She is a 14 week old GSP. Thanks for your help!!!

Just my opinion, but I think that you're going much too fast. You're risking developing a "robo dog". That is, one without style or intensity due to lowered desire.

At this stage and for a long time, I'd concentrate on developing independence, drive and desire. That's not to say you let your dog run wild, just that you don't pressure your dog.

You might check out the "Magic Man" articles and other resources on the West/Gibbons method over on www.uplandbirddog.com . Here are some links that I cut out:

crkranz- A while back I pulled together a little anthology of the best UPBD.com posts:
Carded Pigeons Discussion
http://www.uplandbirddog.com/dcforum/DC ... /4325.html

West/Gibbons For Beginners
http://www.uplandbirddog.com/forum/dcfo ... DCForumID1

Silent
http://www.uplandbirddog.com/forum/dcfo ... DCForumID1

Why Silent Works:
http://www.uplandbirddog.com/forum/dcfo ... DCForumID1

Working Alone:
http://www.uplandbirddog.com/forum/dcfo ... DCForumID1

The Magic Man Article:
http://www.uplandbirddog.com/archives/index.htm

FF Discussion Pro/Con:
http://www.uplandbirddog.com/forum/dcfo ... DCForumID1

West method help:
http://www.uplandbirddog.com/forum/dcfo ... DCForumID1

dhondtm · Post by **dhondtm** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 4:24 pm

I would work harder with stay then whoa at first. I found that made introducing whoa very easy. Now I am only using whoa when she is pointing and stay for non hunting situations.

I also believe the two most important commands for your pup to learn first are come & stay. Especially, if you live in the city like me. I want my dog right on my side and staying there in any distraction when A car is going by. Also, be sure to introduce a release command for stay.

I know I can't wait to get our new puppy and I am also concerned I will get in a habit of over training them because it is so much fun to see progress. But, everyone's reply is quite right let a puppy be a puppy.

I read once somewhere dogs have the capacity on average to handle 200 commands. The smarter the dog the faster they will pick something new up with very little repetition. Has anyone seen any charts as far as how many commands you should train a puppy as they grow up? So you know when you should start introducing new things to the pup.

krjens · Post by **krjens** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 7:58 pm

Thanks for all the advice. I wasn't really expecting the pup to react perfectly right off or anything I was just curious about everyones experience of how long it takes for them to start understanding what you're wanting from them. The video sounds great. The books I've been reading , like "GUN DOG" make it sound like in just a few 15 minute sessions you can have a perfectly trained dog. I know that isn't reality but it does get frustrating watching videos where the dog picks it up, or appears to pick it up right away, and I see little progress. Anyway I am having fun with the pup and just enjoying the time with her so I'm not too worried. She seems smart enough with everything else that I'm sure she'll get this as well. Thanks!!!

Post by **grant** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 10:19 pm

In the Perfection Kennel tapes, thay train untrained dogs =) Good stuff!

Good luck with the pup!

Decoy · Post by **Decoy** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 11:14 pm

Throw away "gun Dog"

Any other book or tabe would be better than that book/video

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 12:17 am

All of Wolter's stuff should be shredded then burned.

B-dawg · Post by **B-dawg** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 12:05 pm

Greg Jennings wrote:All of Wolter's stuff should be shredded then burned.

I actually just started reading gundog,He does seem kind of old fashioned I guess, but I'm just curious why you don't think its good?Paid $25 at Borders for it. should I return it? Is ten minute retriever a decent book?

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:13 pm

If it was me, I'd return it.

The thing about Wolters is that he was a writer, not a dog trainer.

Some of the drills are OK, but the larger framework just doesn't cut it. Especially for those of us who don't train dogs for a living but want to turn out a hard-going, stylish dog.

I'd recommend the West/Gibbons stuff that I posted earlier and the Bill Tarrant/Delmar Smith book. In the video department, I'd recommend the West method tape and Sherry Ray Ebert's "Training Setters and Continental Pointing Dogs".

Sometimes these don't seem terribly structured, but there is a definite method and a definite order to the training.

snips · Post by **snips** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 5:13 pm

About the only thing I teach my dogs up til around a yr old is "come." A pup at 14 wks is like teaching a baby at 6 mo old. They have no attn span, so why not wait til they retain something longer than a few seconds. Just my 2 cents. I like puppy Whoa when you stop them a few seconds before eating, or after coming in, or going out, ect. Just teaches them to stand still til released, with no pressure.

bigbyrd97 · Post by **bigbyrd97** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 3:46 pm

Greg

I clicked on the links you have posted and only the magic man worked. Did you download those articles? If so mabye you can email them to me. When I lived in Phoenix, Bill Gibbons trained my first dog and I really enjoyed watching and learning what little I did from him. His methods are the ones I would prefer to use on my present and future dogs. Do they have any West/Gibbons Training tapes? Thanks

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:35 am

Hey, I'm out of town on business. I'll redo the searches that produced the links and post them.

UplandBirdDog does have a tape about Bill West, but nothing about Gibbons. There are two "Magic Man" articles. The second is as good as, or better than, the first.

tfbirddog2 · Post by **tfbirddog2** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:25 pm

I uesd a great book called " The Ultimate Birddog Training Book", it has everything in it. Put the wing and stick infront of that pup and when she stops to point say whoa!. Try that then after a few days of that when she points hold the stick steady while stroking her back and saying whoa along with easy or hold. After a few days of that when she points the wing, tug it gently say whoa and hold. It will help when birds move infront of her, she will just move her eyes an not bump the bird. It has worked on my dogs when they were pups by the time they 14 to 17 weeks old, an they were not "robo dogs". I made sure training did not last longer than 15 minutes and no more than 2 times aday. Just remeber give treats, praise,and love an they learn alot quicker with the feed back.

OhioOnPoint · Post by **OhioOnPoint** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:21 am

Try the 'buddy stick' for Whoa training. And put some birds in front og her to get her going / increase desire.

Gun Dog Forum

WHOA!

WHOA!

whoa

Re: WHOA!

Whoa

Whoa